A Kochi Castle Experience
- Paul Hallman
- Apr 13
- 5 min read
Kōchi greeted us the way a good port day should. With a plan, a little luck, and a bargain right out of the gate.
We skipped the ship’s shuttle and did what any sensible group of eight does when faced with a schedule: we formed a small taxi fleet. Two cabs, about a 20‑minute ride into the city, and—once we split the fare—roughly $20 total for the return trip. Kōchi, so far, was already treating us kindly.
First stop: Kōchi Castle
Kōchi is a relaxed, working city with a proud streak of history running right through the middle of it, and the castle sits there like it knows it. The original fortress on this site dates back to the early 1600s, built after Tokugawa Ieyasu’s unification of Japan, when regional lords were establishing their domains under the new shogunate.
Over the centuries, plenty of castles across Japan were lost to fires, earthquakes, modernization, and war—but Kōchi Castle is one of the rare ones where the main keep still stands as an original structure. In other words: this isn’t a “rebuilt to look old” castle. It’s the real deal.
We wandered the grounds first, taking the long way on purpose (the best travel strategy). Stone walls, gates, and those perfectly placed viewpoints that make you stop mid‑sentence.
Then we toured inside and climbed up through the wooden interior—steep stairs, low beams, and that constant feeling you should be wearing socks and speaking in a respectful whisper. I went up in my bare feet but the wood was old and a bit weathered so it felt soft.
We went through a show case of items that were used to build and decorate the various homes and I took photos of the carved framework that went over their doorways.
As we went climbed up we passed some scaled down structures of the castle and it was impressive on how the design was made. The other items represent time of battle and or everyday life during the early castle years.
This was two windows on the upper lever that looked out over the city
This model is how they built the castle using bamboo as scaffolding to get higher on the structure. It appears that bamboo is a very valuable commodity in these Asian countries.
The views from the top were amazing and we went around the top balcony in single file so we had a 360 degree view of the entire city.
At the top, the view opens up over the city and out toward the surrounding hills, and you can see exactly why castles were built here: you don’t just live in a place like this—you oversee it.
From there we headed to the castle museum. If the castle is the dramatic headline, the museum is the footnotes that make it all make sense: artifacts, displays, and relics that connect the fortress to the people who lived around it and the era that shaped it.
These items were photographs mounted in the museum
They had a fabulous display of coral which is one of Japan's key exports and many examples of custom pieces and hair pins that were hand made using local coral .
This was a cutout of the castle buildings that shows where they were able to move around as well as sleeping quarters. The entire structure and walkways were built with dead ends and tricky places to deceive the enemy. Under the large building there is a roadway that is a dead end. This way they trap their enemies.
And just when we were feeling very scholarly, we got to try on typical Japanese attire—an activity that instantly turns any group into a comedy troupe. There were poses. There were photos. There were opinions. History, but make it fashion.
Then we walked into one of Kōchi’s best traditions: the Sunday Market (Nichiyō‑ichi) on Otesuji Street. It was about 1 km long along the street and started at the exit of the museum.
This market has been running for centuries—often described as dating back to the late 1600s—making it one of Japan’s oldest street markets. It began as a way for locals to buy and sell goods on a regular schedule, and it’s grown into a weekly ritual that still feels very much like it belongs to the city.
On Sundays, Otesuji becomes a long ribbon of stalls—produce, snacks, handmade items, little souvenirs, and the kind of “I didn’t know I needed this until I saw it” treasures that somehow end up in your bag.
At the end of the market we ducked into a nearby mall and found a wonderful restaurant—one of those travel wins that feels like you’ve discovered a secret. They took one look at our group of eight and gave us a private second‑story seating area like we were important people with schedules and assistants. We were neither, but we accepted the honor.
Lunch was fantastic. Some of us had curry with schnitzel, plus spinach and a cucumber salad—really good. Jan had a similar dish but with breaded shrimp, and the dipping sauces were especially tasty. Most of us had a beer, and when it was all done it came to about $18 US per couple for two meals and drinks. Kōchi continued its streak of being both charming and affordable.
These platters were delicious
After our Japanese meal we returned to the mall and did some more window shopping and pedestrian watching although there was one comedians in our group.
When did we get a chance to go fishing ?
After a bit more wandering around the mall, we hailed two taxis and headed back to the ship.
Sailing out was its own little show as locals playing music, a dance group performing and people waving large flags as we pulled away—one of those send‑offs that makes you feel genuinely welcome, even if you were only there for the day.
Passengers wave goodbye as the locals perform and say Thanks for Stopping
Back onboard, we stopped at our favorite bar—Crooners—where some people were already on their second drinks. Jan and I kept it simple. It was an early night for us as we passed on dinner, had a small snack and were in bed by 10 p.m. because we have a long day planned for Osaka.
We were a bit too late to see the Cherry Blossoms and in this image it is framing the mountain. We only saw smoke, ash and blue skies.
We arrive at 7 a.m. tomorrow morning and have to be back on the ship by 8:30 p.m., so for once we’ll actually get to be ashore in the evening.
Comments